Tales from Congaree I : Learning the Ropes

Setting out on my first solo trip with a 7lb tent, $5 mess kit, and quilt my grandma made.

While clearing out an old Google Drive folder, I came across an untitled document. Skimming through it, I vaguely remembered writing it. I just couldn't place where or when. Then it hit me! This was the trail journal from my first backpacking trip at Congaree National Park. There were certainly things I could have done better, but considering I had never camped by myself before, I think I fared pretty well. I remember coming away from this experience with the confidence to take on tougher backpacking trips. A year later, that confidence would lead me to thru-hike the Foothills Trail. At the time, I figured I'd be the only person to ever read this journal. So, I apologize in advance for the subpar writing. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this first overnight trip at Congaree.

After that disaster on Black Balsam Knob I really wanted to pull off a successful trip before it got too cold. My reasoning was this: "I can't wait around for Jordan or one of my friends to be available. Other than B. none of my friends have gear or experience anyway. So, if I'm going to backpack I have to get used to doing it by myself. It's scary, but it's my only option right now. We don't have any plans for Thanksgiving, so this weekend is a good time to go. Plus all the people who are off work like me probably won't be camping." I was still a little nervous about running into weirdos out there. So, I checked the website to see how many other sites were booked. Just one. I wasn't sure if it that made me feel better or worse. Thankfully it was just two ladies with their dogs and not the menacing "Bubba" character I cooked up in my head on the drive over.

When I got to the park I had to wait to check-in. The ranger was "swearing in" a little boy as a junior ranger and adding a new patch to his vest. When he was done he gave me the overview: There are no bathrooms and no water except at the Visitor Center. I can park here or at Longleaf campground, but it's a 1 mile hike either way. He also told me some other interesting things about the park and what time the Visitor Center closed. I got back in my car and parked at Longleaf. I wanted to see as much of the park as I could. Only a few cars were there. My tent and sleeping pad took up most of the room in the pack, so I had to spread things out in pockets or attach it to the outside. Before I put on my pack I rolled up the purple quilt from Grandma and clipped it under the sleeping bag compartment. I also clipped my tea kettle to the outside. I wasn't sure if I would actually need them, but I would rather have and not need them than go back and forth to the car for stuff later.

I really enjoyed the scenery on the hike in. I've always thought the tall skinny pines we have around here are so pretty. Bluff Campground wasn't what I expected. It was an open field with all the sites scattered around the edges. Mine was in the very center of the circle. I started with what I thought would be the most intimidating part - the tent. It took some finagling to get the ends of the poles in the grommets, but after that I was able to keep them upright long enough to clip the body of the tent on. The little pole across the top was the hardest. I couldn't get enough tension to force the end into the grommet on the opposite side. I wanted to give up after a couple tries. How important is that part it really? But I realized if I was going to start doing this by myself more, I would have to figure it out eventually. There was no one here to do it for me. I tried a couple more times until I finally got it. I pinched my finger though.

I unpacked everything else without any trouble and put it either in the tent or on the picnic table. I felt good about all the progress I made and decided to hike the other trail back to the Visitor Center. The ranger said he was impressed at how quickly I set up alone. I bought a dark blue park patch with pines and an owl on it. Then I refilled my water bottle and went back to the campground.

I needed to gather some firewood and start making dinner before it got dark. I picked up what I could find in the woods behind my site. Then I went over to the two empty sites next to me. One had a huge pile of branches covered in twigs and leaves. I broke some pieces off and carried them back. Now I just had to get dinner started. That was probably the hardest part of all. I brought along the Coghlan's folding stove I bought for the Black Balsam trip. I watched a guy in a camping video cook rice on one, and figured it should work for my Quinoa Chili too. I also thought it would work better here since there wouldn't be high winds.

I set the stove up on the ground near my tent and lit a couple alcohol tablets. Then I filled the pot from my mess kit with water and tried to place it on top. I didn't realize the handle needed to be locked in place though, and it spilled all over the picnic table. I finally figured it out on the THIRD try. I picked up more sticks while I waited for the water to boil. I had to keep lighting tablets, but it wasn't boiling. I finally started to see a few bubbles on the bottom of the pot, so I poured the chili in and stirred it around. I lit more tablets and waited longer. I only had a couple left and the chili was barely even warm. I was really frustrated at this point. Obviously I wasn't going to starve to death, but going to bed hungry sounded miserable. So, I tried cooking it on a fire. 

I had a difficult time starting it. One of the ladies at the other campsite noticed me struggling and offered to share some of their firewood. I said I appreciated it, but felt like I needed to figure this out on my own. She said the offer still stands if I change my mind. By the time the stove burned out, I finally got a decent fire going. I moved the pot onto the grate. I laid down on the dry part of the picnic table while I waited and stared up at the stars. I got up to check on the chili after a couple minutes. It was starting to burn to the bottom, so I took it off. It was scalding hot, but I was so hungry I couldn't wait. I poured half the chili into the mess kit dish and added cold water from my water bottle. I realized the quinoa was still crunchy on the first bite, but I felt like I worked too hard to not eat it. I ate all of it. Even the burnt layer of on the bottom of the pot. 

Sleeping was interesting... Mostly because my sleeping pad sucks. It has a strong chemical smell and laying on it for just a couple minutes makes everything hurt. Especially my back. I tried turning the valve to deflate it a little thinking if I let some air out it wouldn’t be so stiff. Then I could get the foam inside to mold to my body. But nothing helped. I just had to deal with it. It was a $35 pad. I don’t know what I was expecting. What also made sleeping interesting were the noises from the woods. I didn't mind at first. I really liked when the wind would blow and shake the tops of the trees. I could hear creaking branches and leaves falling onto my tent. Every once in a while, there would be a train horn off in the distance. Which was nice because it kind of reminded me of home. 

Then there were the really strange sounds. I was scared at first because the ranger told me today was the first time in years someone saw a bobcat in the park. He said there were multiple people who saw it so they know they're living in this area again. One of the sounds was like a bunch of dogs barking and yipping. Which I'm guessing was coyotes. Then, there was one that reminded me of a monkey screeching. I have no idea what that was, and don't want to find out. I was able to ignore it and fall asleep after a while, but then I was woken up by the cold. It was only 11 o'clock. All I could think was “This is going to be a long night, and I’m already so cold.”  I was using my jacket as a pillow, so I unbunched it and put it on. I tried to bundle up even more and wrap the quilt around me like cocoon. I woke up again at 2 and 4 a.m. feeling awkward pain in different places. I was so afraid when I woke up the next day I was going to be crippled and hunched over. 

I woke up one more time at 6, right before my alarm went off. I reset it for 15 more minutes. I wanted to reset it again, but I had to go to the bathroom and couldn’t wait. I knew I would be too cold and wide awake to lay back down, so I lit my last few alcohol tablets and put the kettle on. That way when I came back I wouldn't have to wait for warm water to make coffee. Without giving too much detail, I successfully used the bathroom in the woods. I don't think it was exactly a six-inch deep hole, but it was close enough.

After a terrible time making dinner last night, there's no way I was going through that again at breakfast. I planned ahead and soaked my oatmeal in my food bag all night. Then I poured in the leftover water from making coffee to make the oatmeal less clumpy. I had no idea they made instant coffee packets, until after this trip. So I brought coffee concentrate. (Yes, the whole 10 oz bottle) I felt pretty accomplished sitting on the picnic table with my coffee and oatmeal. I had to cut the top off the bag with a pocket knife because I wasn't able to reach the bottom without getting my hand messy.

I started packing up my campsite at nine o'clock. I pulled my gear out of the tent and organized it in the pack the way I had it before. By the time I took my tent down, my neighbors were waking up. They slept in their sleeping bags next to the fire pit. That is totally crazy! I didn’t even notice they were there until they stood up. They brought a tent, but for some reason their dogs were the only ones that used it. 

I put my pack on and hiked back to my car at Longleaf. I could overhear a really noisy group of kids at one of the campsites there. I’m glad I picked Bluff instead. I drove over to the Visitor Center from there and found a nice four and a half mile loop through the forest. Part of it was on a trail and part was on a raised boardwalk. The bugs were not bad at all thanks to the cold. It’s almost Winter, but still looked like the start of Fall. As I was walking, all these gold leaves were raining down everywhere. Some of the trees had patches of bright red at the top. It was so beautiful. 

I reached a part of the loop that I could tell not a lot of people had taken. The trees were enormous with roots growing wild all over the place. It was also a little hard to make out where the trail went next. The coolest part was the woodpeckers! All these little red feathery heads darting back and forth. Some of them were way high up where I couldn't see them, but I could hear them knocking on the trees. I was surprised the cell service was so good out there. I could get on AllTrails and download the map to see where I was supposed to be going. Which was good because lots of trails intersected with this loop. 

I'm really proud of how this trip went. I set up my shelter without help. I made a fire and cooked over it. A lot of things went wrong, but I stuck it out. I didn't pack up and go home when my stove didn't work out or when it got cold at night. It was a really fun experience. I think this is a good place for anybody who wants to get into camping, but hasn't done it before. Or for anybody who wants to go somewhere that isn’t super strenuous. You only have to walk a mile into camp!